During the Labette Community College Board of Trustees meeting, board members heard a solar panel proposal from SEK Solar on Thursday, Nov. 14.
No decision was made at the meeting; however, timing is a factor. According to Daniel Zywietz, owner of SEK Solar, there are tax credits available for solar panel projects, which are set to expire at the end of the year. According to Zywietz this is due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act accelerating the phase-out process. Meaning that in order to receive tax credits of up to 30% of the project cost, projects have to be started ahead of the 2026 calendar year.
“So you might know that the Inflation Reduction Act had put solar tax credits in place that were supposed to last until 2032,” Zywietz said.
At Labette Community College, Zywietz said the project would cost around $1.5 million and save the school $100,000 in utilities, which is roughly a third of the total annual cost of electricity.
The project would be paid for over a period of 8 years, with 30% of those costs being reimbursed by the federal government. To earn those tax credits, 5% of the total project cost — roughly $130,000 — has to be spent on equipment, and installation has to begin before the end of the calendar year.
Zywietz noted that insurance risk was low and that, as far as maintenance was concerned, the panels themselves are similar to glass doors with an aluminum frame. He said that they are designed to run for 25-30 years with minimal maintenance and have a 30year performance warranty.
The college currently uses approximatelytely 2.5 million kilowatt hours annually. The solar panel installation could produce up to 1.5 million kilowatt hours of power.
The down payment required for the project is $127,000. After the initial investments to earn the tax credits, they would have up to two years to complete the rest of the project.
Board members will continue the discussion during December’s meeting.
In other business: — The board heard that the college has had an increase in campus visits, with 85 visits between August and Nov. 1.
—The board approved the Fiscal year 2023-2025 Registrar, Adult Education, and President’s Office comprehensive reviews.
See SOLAR, Page 2.
— The board approved a change to the master agreement with the Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence to accept grants to support nursing faculty.
The next Labette Community College Board of Trustees Meeting will be held at the Cardinal Event Center on Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m.
